A grand ride

EDITOR: Everyone in Santa Rosa and the surrounding area who made up the GranFondo deserves a serious attaboy! The hotels, restaurants and the people themselves were the best as I participated in my third GranFondo. You handle 7,500 riders and their friends and families as if you did it every day. You come out to cheer us on, set up tables in your driveways to watch us pass by, smile as you stand across the road from your homes, newspaper in hand, knowing it will be sometime before you can get back across the road, and you plan your trips around the road closures. Your emergency crews are exceptional. Most of all, the volunteers who come out are the foundation of the ride. They are up before dawn, know where they are going and what they are doing, and they have the biggest smiles for us as we come in to the rest stops, crossroads and finish lines. So while we can thank Levi Leipheimer on Facebook and Twitter, I'd like to say a huge thank you to all of you. I'll be back next year, ready to do it all again knowing you all will help me along the way.